Cam mechanism for knitting-machines.



Patented. Apr. 3, 191?.

fi A WW J w m WM R. W. SCOTT.-

CAM MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

- APPLICAIIO N FILED JUNE 30,1au. 'l l filfie tOBERT W. SCOTT, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 SCOTT & WIL- LIAMS, INC., 01? PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAM MECHANISM FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicationfiled June 30, 1911. Serial No. 636,278.

"0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, ROBERT W. Soon, a itizen of the United States, and a resident f Philadelphia, in the county of Philadel- )hia and State of Pennsylvania, have inented an Improvement in Cam Mechanism For Knitting-h/Iachines, of which the folowing description, in connection with the tccompanying drawings, is a specification, .ike charaoterson the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to cam mechanism for knitting machines, and is applicable to knitting machines bot of the straight and of the circular type. I have chosen in this embodiment of my invention to represent itin connection with a circular knitting machine and of that type thereof illustrated in United States Letters Patent to George D. Mayo, No. 726,178, April 21, 1903. Obviously, however, my invention is not limited thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a cam cylinder of a knitting machlne provided with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an inside elevation, partially in tran verse-section, of my invention;

301g. 3 is a vertical sect'on upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; r

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the cam mechanism below the stitch earn;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the needle platform or support cooperating with the single stitch cam; and 4 1 Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a vertical section and perspective view of a modified form of my inventionf 1 Referring for convenience of description to that type of knitting machine embodied in the said patent to Mayo, No. 726,178, it is to be observed that therein a single stitch cam is provided. It has been found in prac- 5 tice that when the needles are traveling down the incline'of the said stitch cam, they are carried with such force and velocity that they impinge upon the cooperating side cams (depending upon the direction of ro- 0 tation of the cylinder) where the said side cams meet immediately under the nose of the single stitch cam and indent and wear away the cam at'such point. The result is to form an enlargement at this point, and I5 in consequence thereof suchof the needles as move the more freely in the grooves are caused to draw longer stitches than those drawn by the other needles of the set and which do not move so freely. Objectionable lines therefore appear in the finished fabric. In accordance with my invention I provide means for positively limiting the draft of the needles, so that under all conditions th said draft is uniform.

. Referring more particularly to the drawings, a portion of the cam cylinder of the machine is represented at 1 in the several figures, the said cylinder being rotated and reciprocated in any suitable manner. Obviously, however, the cam cylinder or carrier may be stationary and the needle cylinder or carrier may be rotated or reciprocated.

Patented am. a, rear.

Suitably mounted upon the cam cylinder, and v if desired, in the manner shown in said patent, is a cam bracket 2 having secured thereto by a screw 3 or otherwise a single stitch cam 4 generally similar, it may be, to that shown in said patent and with which cotiperate the elevating'cams 5, 6. Between the said cams 4, 5 and 6 is the usual cam track 7.

In each direction of rotation of the cam cylinder, there is danger, as previously explained, that the cam 5 or 6 may be worn away by contact of the needles therewith. In order to avoid this, I have provided protecting means embodied in this type of my invention in a platform or support positioned at or adjacent the nose of the stitch cam 4 and serving efiectually to cover up the joint 8 between the side cams 5, 6 and also rendering it impossible for a needle to receive more draft than that intended to be imparted thereto by the stitch cam 4.

Beneath the stitch cam bracket 2,-that is, between it and the cam ring 1,-is a s ace 9 wherein is inserted an angular plat orm or support 10, the upstanding part 11 whereof may be secured to the cam ring' by a screw 12 passing through a vertically elongated slot 13 in said upstanding part, thereby permitting vertical adjustment of said platform or support. Preferably the upstanding part 11 of the support is received in a vertical groove 14 in the outer surface of the said 105 bracket 2, as shown in'Fig. 1, thus positioning said support radially inside of adjacent stationary parts of the knitting mechanism. The platform or support 10 may be modified in form, material and otherwise within 110 I the scope of invention. I have, howpreferably laterally beyond the platform or support 10 in both directions, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1, thus leaving a thin part 17, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper edge whereof is preferably flush and makes a tight joint with the inner edge of the foot 15v of the support 10. Owing to the described construction of parts, each needle as it travels down the cam track 7 in either direction will contact with the upper surface of the foot 15 of said support whatever be the length of needle butt and will travel over the upper surface of the said foot 15 until it contacts with the working face of the opposite elevating cam 5 or 6 as the case maybe.

I It will be observed that the platform or support 10 constituting the present embodiment of means for limiting the draft of the needles, is herein attached to and practically forms part of the bracket 2 carrying the stitch czfm 4. Therefore the said support 10 is movable withsaid bracket, and when wear occurs in the guideways wherein said bracket is mounted, and which may be similar to those shown in said Patent No. 726,178, the said support maintains a fixed relation with respect to the nose of the stitch cam. If, on the contrary, a platform or support were permanently attached to the elevating cams 5 or 6, the space between the said platform and the nose of the stitch cam would constantly increase as wear occurs. Obviously any suitable means may be employed in order radially to move the stitch cam 4. In Fig. 3, I have shown a pin 18 with which cooperates a suitable lever or other .device for imparting radialsliding movement to said cam bracket 2 in its guide ways 29. 1

While the support or platform 10 may b of any suitable material and may in certain cases constitute a yielding or spring like member (in which case it might be made of sufficiently thin steel), 1 preferably form the said platform or support of rigid or substantially springless material, inasmuch as the pressure of the foot 15, being of spring material, would cause wear of the ends of the stitch cam.

It is, of course, evident that in conjunction with the stitch cam 4 or other'suitable cam mechanism I may employ suitable narrowing and widening devices of the form shown in said Mayo patent or of any other suitable type.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a slightly modified form of my invention, wherein I avoid the upstanding part 11 of the support,

as in certain types of machines there is very little space between the outer edge of the movable cylinder and the stationary parts of the mechanism. In said figures, the support is indicated at 19, it being tapped at 20 for the reception of a screw 21 by which it is secured to the under face of the cam bracket 2, the said support being also tapped at 22 to receive adjusting screws 23, by which the position of the support may be accurately and readily adjusted.

It will be observed that in both forms of my invention here illustrated, there is capacity for vertical adjustment of the platform or support. This constitutes an important feature of my invention.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that I have provided protecting means which may be of general application, but which peculiarly cooperates with a single stitch forming cam of the type shown in said Mayo patent. The said protecting means insures uniform draft upon all the needles in the knitting operation.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in'a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being able therewith, and means to adjust said attachment relatively to the stitch cam and into a position to contact with the needles thrown beyond the active face of the stitch cam, to preserve uniform draft upon the needles.

3. Cam mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination a cam cylinder, a cam bracket supported thereon, and radially movable with respect thereto, a stitch cam secured to said bracket, elevatin cams on said cylinder cooperating with sai stitch cam and a needle support or platform unyieldingly secured to said bracket and underlying the nose of said stitch cam.

4. Cam mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination a single stitch cam movable into and out of contact with the needles, a pair of elevatin cams cooperating therewith, and a rice e su port or platform held in fixed relation with respect to said stitch cam adjacent the nose thereof,

and overlying portions of said elevating cams when the stitch cam is in its operative position, thereby to receive the impact of needle draft. y

5. Cam mechanism for knittingvmachines comprising in combination a cam cylinder, a radially movable cam bracket mounted thereon, a single stitch cam secured to said bracket, a pair of needle elevating cams having portions of their needle guiding edges removed, and a needle platform or support secured to said bracket and extending to a point underlying the nose of said stitch cam, the inner edge of said platform or support being received by said elevating cams at the point where portions of their guiding edges are removed.

6. Cam mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination a stitch cam, a coiiperating elevating cam having a portion of its needle guidin edge removed and a needle platform adqust'ably secured in a fixed relation to said stitch cam and inserted between the nose thereof and said elevating cam at a point where a portion of the needle guiding edge of the latter is removed.

7 Cam mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination a stitch cam forv imparting draft to the needles, a needle elerating cam and a platform fixed with relation to said stitch cam for limiting the draft of the needles, the inner edge of said platform extending inward beyond the outer face of' the stitch cam.

8. Cam mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination a stitch cam for lit imparting draft to the needles, a needle projecting cam having a portion only of the needle guiding edge thereof removed opposite the nose of the stitch cam, and a needle support or platform adjustably secured in a fixed relation with said stitch cam and having the needle receiving surface thereof substantially flush with the unreduced portion of the needle guiding edge of the projecting cam.

'9. Cam mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination, a single stitch cam, a pair of elevating cams coiiperating therewith, a needle support or platform held in fixed relation with respect to said stitch cam adjacent the nose thereof and overlying portions of said elevating cams, thereby to receive the impact of needle draft, and means to adjust said support or platform vertically toward and from the nose of the stitch cam.

10. A cam mechanism for knitting machines comprising in combination, a cam cylinder, a stitch cam radially movable With respect thereto, a needle support having predetermined fixed relation to said stitch cam to (preserve uniform draft upon the needles, an means to adjust said support vertically, toward and from said stitch cam.

In testimony-whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT W. SCOTT.

Witnesses:-

HARRY L. SMITH HAMILTON D. TURNER. 

